The Evolution of an Oracle
by Bard of Prey
Summary: An exploration of how Barbara became the Oracle.


The Evolution of an Oracle  
By Bethany Davis  
  
Stars. It was almost impossible to see them in New Gotham, too many buildings, too many lights. The young woman lowered herself to a seated position on the edge of the clocktower's roof and swung her legs out over the city many stories below. From here, you could see the stars, millions of them. There were times when she enjoyed the solitude, the peace, the serenity. Her life hadn't taken the route she'd expected. Nothing about her current situation fit into the niche she'd tried to carve for herself. Not a thing. In one night, the deafening crack of a gunshot had sealed her fate...and now...Now, she was still trying to determine where she fit into the world.  
  
The nightmares had ended long ago, along with the self pity and the sense of hopelessness. The physical scars would never heal, but the emotional ones had disappeared with time. She closed her eyes and tilted her head towards the sky, smiling at the feel of the wind as it gently caressed her cheek. Funny, how realistic dreams could be. There were times when she woke from dreams like this one and the line between reality and fantasy blurred. This time, she knew. She knew because she had been standing at the edge of the clocktower, staring out at the city. She knew because she could feel the tight black leather clinging to her every curve, holding her in a gentle embrace like a wayward friend who had finally returned home.  
  
Barbara knew, but she didn't struggle to wake herself. Dreams like this, they were a vacation from the real world, and she welcomed them. More than her legs, she missed her calling. She had always thought she would spend her life making the world safe for others. The Joker had stolen that dream, and left her with a hole in her future she had not yet managed to fill.  
  
"You're calling doesn't change just because you do."   
  
The voice was gentle, soft, familiar. "What would you know about that?" She asked, not bothering to turn and confirm her suspicions about the intruder's identity.   
  
"More than you think."  
  
The young woman nodded, resting her hands on the ledge and leaning back. "Well, it makes it a little difficult to kick ass when you can't physically kick anymore."  
  
"I never pegged you as the sort of person who would just give up when the going got tough."  
  
"You must not have known me as well as you thought."  
  
Silence lingered for several moments, and Barbara wondered if her dream's intruder had gone. "I don't think so." The voice answered finally. "I think you're the one whose misjudged yourself. You are so much more than legs. You always were. You know there are other ways to fight."  
  
"Escrima?" She asked, breathing deeply. "True, I suppose, but its still not the same. The wheelchair is too much of a burden. I can't do what I used to do. I can't fly. He clipped my wings."  
  
"There are so many ways to fly..." A hand gently pulled the mask from Barbara's face. "Your mind was always your greatest weapon. The Joker could never destroy that, or the part of you that longs to fight. You can still save the world, just not like you'd originally planned."  
  
"Mmm..." She smiled, her eyelids flickering closed. "I'm still not clear on what you want me to do with my mind."  
  
"Use it. Use it to find the answers to the unsolved mysteries of New Gotham."  
  
Barbara opened her eyes in time to see the mask of her Batgirl costume being tossed into the darkness.   
  
"Let Batgirl go. Put her to rest. It's time you evolved into something else. Something more than just the shadow of the bat. It was all right for a while, but you were never meant to be a sidekick. You're worthy of your own name, your own mission."  
  
Now, Barbara was fully alert. She still knew it was a dream, and tried to remind herself that the man with her on the ledge was not real. Though, she still couldn't shake the awe his last comment had inspired. Batman really thought she was ready to work on her own? "Do you really think so, Bruce?"  
  
"Yes." The man smiled, lowering himself onto the ledge beside her. "I taught you what I could, but I think it's high time you flew solo." He paused, following her gaze out to the night sky in front of them. "Originally, I took you under my wing as a favor to your father. I didn't want you getting yourself hurt..."  
  
"I know." Barbara chuckled. "I knew that from the very beginning."  
  
He glanced at her. "I've taught you all I can. You're ready to evolve beyond Batgirl. New Gotham is going to need a hero."  
  
"Why not you?" She asked quietly, trying very hard not to make it sound like an accusation.  
  
Bruce sighed, shaking his head. "This isn't my battle. This is yours...one you have to fight...without me."  
  
"I'm not so sure I can..."  
  
"Look at me." He commanded in that familiar, gravely tone he used when the mask descended. She had no alternative but to obey. "I have faith in you. Dick and Tim have faith in you...Helena has faith in you. Now, you have to have faith in yourself. You can fly, Oracle. It's just a matter of spreading your wings, and taking the plunge." Before she could react, Bruce gave her a gentle shove off the clocktower's ledge and she fell into the night.  
  
****  
  
Unlike most dreams that involve falling, she did not wake from this one with a cry on her lips...but a question.   
  
You can fly, Oracle. It's just a matter of spreading your wings, and taking the plunge.  
  
Barbara raised an eyebrow at the echo. "Oracle?" It had a nice ring to it, and Heaven knew New Gotham needed a hero. "Why me?" She asked softly. Several minutes passed...and her mind spun. "Why the Hell NOT me?" Whether Bruce had been real or imaginary, he'd had a point. She wanted to save the world. Maybe the whole bullet to the spine thing was a set back, a bump in the road, but it was by no means the end. She chuckled. "There's certainly no law that says I can't still save the world...and I'll even do it sitting down."  
  
****  
  
Outside the clocktower, a mask caught on the corner of a ledge. And, there it would remain until wind and rain carried it far from its previous owner. It was no longer needed. Batgirl had evolved, Barbara had discovered her true calling, and Oracle had finally found her voice. 


End file.
